A Princess among Pirates
by Bchets
Summary: Princess Nishikino is kidnapped by a pirate who... doesn't really seem like a pirate at all. Written for the Love Live Big Bang on tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

Maki could hear explosions outside of the building that she converted into a makeshift hospital. With one glance outside the window, she saw cannonballs littering the ground, usually surrounded by fallen buildings or disfigured walkways. She focused back on her patient, who had large splinters stuck in his leg. Luckily, Maki didn't have any patients that were fatally injured by the bombardment. As she disinfected the man's leg, Maki heard the loud ringing of a bell.

"Citizens of the Nishikino kingdom! We are looking for Princess Nishikino! If she refuses to reveal herself, then we will continue bombarding the harbor. You have five minutes to come to the pier, Princess."

Maki hurriedly removed the splinters, yet made sure she did not harm her patient. Then, after quickly wrapping the man's leg and grabbing her box of medical supplies, the redhead ran down to the pier. It was quite difficult to run in her dress, so Maki was unsure if she made the deadline as she arrived at the pier. She saw a pirate standing by one of the boats.

"Ah, Princess. You're late." On closer inspection, the person Maki labeled as a pirate appeared to be a pretty girl around Maki's age. Maki was so distracted by her elegance that she almost didn't notice a cannonball whiz by and hit the ground of the harbor.

"Wait! I'll do whatever your captain wants! Just stop firing on innocent civilians." The blue-haired woman in front of Maki raised her hand to the ship, then motioned for Maki to follow her.

"Thank you for making this easy." The pirate walked onto the ship, with Maki following, before abruptly stopping. "And by the way… I'm the captain." Maki was a bit shocked, but continued to follow the girl as she walked down some stairs and turned into a room. "Sorry about this, but we have to tie you up."

"W-what?!" Before realizing it, Maki was surrounded by a few pirates. They were burly, unclean men, the image of pirates that Maki readily accepted.

 _And yet, she looks nothing like I imagined..._

Dropping her small box of supplies, Maki was forcefully tied to a post, and the captain stooped down to talk to her.

"Don't worry, we won't keep you for long. Just enough time for your father to agree to pay ransom for you. Thank you for cooperating, Princess Nishi-" The boat shook violently, interrupting the girl. "What's going on up there?!"

"They're here for the Princess, Captain." Maki could hear shouts, gunfire and the clashing of swords coming from above.

"That was faster than I expected… To your stations, everyone." After a collective "aye, captain" from the rest of the pirates, everyone left Maki alone except for the blue-haired girl. "Don't worry, Princess, I, Captain Umi, will keep you safe." Maki, having read those words many times in books of fairytales, frowned at Umi.

"That's something a hero would say. Not a pirate." Umi bent down once more, closing the distance between them. Her amber eyes pierced through Maki as she spoke.

"I hope to shatter those expectations of yours one day." Maki remained stunned as the captain left her. She struggled to untie the knots holding her to the post, but soon stopped after a cannonball flew through the wooden wall of the ship. The cannonball lodged itself in the floor, a few feet away from the redhead. Looking outside, Maki could see a familiar ship.

 _Papa sent help?_

Maki tried to lean over to get a better look at it, but she was distracted by voices coming from above.

"We have the Princess in our ship. I order you to retreat!" Maki identified the voice as Umi's, then listened to the response.

"We don't take orders from pirates! Surrender now or die!" Maki knew that captain's voice. Maki's father was very active in naval expansion, thus he spent much time with the captains of his ships. Maki was next in line for the kingdom, so she had to meet all of these captains and even consider marrying the younger ones.

 _Not that I'm interested in marriage, but... if Papa says so then..._

"If our ship goes down, the princess will go down with it. Your move, but remember that you're a slave to the Nishikino family." After that, the sounds of battle ceased. Maki could feel the ship as it started to move once more, and she watched the other boat slowly fade off in the distance. Maki watched as Umi walked back down the stairs, seeing traces of blood on the pirate's overcoat. "See, told you I'd protect you."

"Hmph. Don't say that when you couldn't even protect yourself." Maki watched as blood seeped out of Umi's sleeve and onto the wooden floor. "What, did you get hit by a bullet or something?"

"… So you noticed, huh?" The redhead sighed loudly.

"Hurry up and untie me so I can treat you." Umi raised an eyebrow and smirked at the princess.

"You seriously think I'm going to trust you?"

"Well, I don't have anywhere to run. And your wound could become serious if not treated right away…" Umi nodded as she listened. "So yes, I do think you're going to trust me." Umi frowned, then undid the knots that bound Maki's arms with a single arm. The redhead walked over to the medical box that had slid a few feet away during the short battle. "Sit over there and take off that coat."

Umi followed Maki's instructions, revealing her upper body covered in a tight white shirt. Maki took notice of her well-defined muscles as she walked closer.

"The upper arm, huh… Could you take off this shirt as well?" Umi started to do so before the princess hurriedly interrupted her. "W-wait a sec. Turn around before you do it."

"Ha! I never would have guessed you would be so prude." Umi's words were dripping in sarcasm, so Maki frowned at the blue-haired girl.

"I suppose I won't help you after all." After a small chuckle, Umi turned around and took off her shirt, revealing just how toned her body was. Maki also took note of the many scars that Umi had on her back and arms.

 _She's just another patient… No need to be nervous._

After a deep breath, Maki walked forward and examined the wound more closely, resisting the temptation to glance at the pirate's bosom. Maki immediately knew that she had to remove the bullet, and it was something she was used to doing. After seeing a bottle of rum on the floor, Maki picked it up and brought it to Umi.

"Ah, alcohol to disinfect the wound?"

"No, I have my own for that." Umi tilted her head at the redhead's words. "This is for you to drink. Wouldn't want your crew coming down here and seeing their captain cry like a child." Umi loudly laughed in response.

"I've been through worse pain, so you don't have to worry about me." Despite those words, Umi did take a swig of the bottle and let out a sigh of refreshment.

"I-I'm not worrying about you…" Maki disinfected the wound, causing Umi to tense up and involuntarily flex her arms. Maki felt heat rise to her cheeks, but she quickly snapped out of it as she reminded herself of Umi's injury. Not wanting to be in the situation any longer, the redhead quickly removed the bullet and wrapped up Umi's arm. "You won't be using this arm for a while... But I'm all done."

"You're great at this, Princess… Maybe you should become our doctor!" Maki heard a slight slur in Umi's words, but said nothing of it. Instead the redhead nodded in agreement.

 _Anything beats being locked up after all..._

While Maki was thinking, Umi had ended up in her arms. The blue-haired girl's face was flushed, and Maki's face started to match.

"W-wha… You're a pirate and you can't handle alcohol?!" Umi giggled, which Maki didn't expect given Umi's normal demeanor.

"Shaddup… Oi, Whiskers!" One of Umi's crew members peeked his head down the stairs.

"What is it, captain?"

"Show the pretty princess to the guest room… I'll be taking a nap~" Her singsong voice didn't suit her well, but Umi didn't seem to care as she wobbled into another room. The pirate that Umi had entrusted Maki to motioned for the redhead to follow him.

"Ya must be pretty important if the cap'n is giving ya the guest room." Maki shook her head at that statement.

"No… I guess I'll be your ship's doctor from now on." The man's eyes lit up when he heard what Maki said.

"Great! They call me Black Whiskers, on account of me black whiskers. Pleased to meetcha!" He stroked his moustache happily and extended his hand. Maki shook it and they continued to the guest room. After showing Maki to the room, Whiskers left the redhead alone. Feeling exhausted from treating so many patients, including one that wouldn't leave her thoughts for a while, Maki plopped down on the bed and sighed.

 _A doctor for pirates, huh... Papa didn't really prepare me for this..._

With that in her mind, the redhead quickly drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Oi. Princess, rise and shine!" With a groan, Maki slowly stirred and rose out of the uncomfortable bed. "Ya have ta eat dinner, dontcha?

"Mmmm… Okay I'll be there in a bit." Whoever was in the room left without a word. It was then when Maki realized something.

 _I don't really know where "there" is..._

The redhead slowly walked out of the room and looked in both directions. Not noticing anything in the dimly lit hallway, the redhead chose a direction and stuck with it, walking forward until she ran into a dead end. While she was confused about where to go, she saw a quick flash of yellow and heard a few words.

"Turn around. End of the hall on the right." The redhead looked back and forth but couldn't see anyone near her. She decided to follow the mysterious directions, and she began to hear loud chatter and music near the opposite wall. She walked into the door on the right, and her ears were blasted with loud, off-key singing and even louder yelling.

"Ah, Princess, yer meal is over here!" She turned to see Whiskers smiling at her with a mouth full of yellow teeth. "How was yer nap?"

"It was fine. Thank you." Whiskers handed the princess a platter of meat and stale bread. Even though the meal wasn't as appetizing as she was used to, Maki ate to fill her empty stomach. Whiskers had left her as she ate, so she scanned the room to find him. He had joined the rest of the pirates in song, so Maki decided to slip away while no one noticed.

After a few minutes of exploring, Maki found the stairs to the deck of the ship. It was refreshingly silent compared to the mess hall downstairs. Maki went over to the wooden railing of the boat and looked up at the stars, taking note of familiar constellations.

 _Hmm… We're headed east, then?_

"The night sky over the sea is beautiful, isn't it?" Maki visibly flinched and turned to find the blue-haired captain next to her. "What's your favorite group of stars?"

"W-well..." After a minute of staring up into the sky, Maki turned back to Umi. "That's an impossible question to answer."

"You aren't sure, huh?" Umi put her arms on the railing and looked up at the stars. "Why is that?"

"The stars are always beautiful. It's hard to choose favorites from such an amazing selection..." Realizing she was saying something personal, Maki trailed off.

"You're passionate about stargazing, then?" The redhead could feel herself blush under Umi's gaze. "Ah, so I was right on the mark."  
"N-no it's not like tha-" A chilly breeze blew by the two girls, causing Maki to shiver. That chill was soon replaced by warmth as Maki felt a coat being placed upon her shoulders.

"Is that better?" Realizing that it was Umi's coat -and more importantly, Umi's warmth- covering her, Maki started to feel heat on her cheeks.

"W-what are you... I don't need your coat, umm... Captain?" The girl next to her chuckled before turning to Maki.

"Call me Umi, Princess." Maki was stunned by the brilliant, white smile of the pirate next to her.

"F-fine. You can address me by name as well."

"Hmm... Maki?" Feeling flustered, but unsure why, Maki turned away and stammered.

"U-U-Umi..." Wishing to change the subject, Maki turned back to Umi and spoke without much thinking. "Say, when are you going to take me home? I have obligations to uphold and expectations to fulfill back in the kingdom..." The redhead trailed off as she saw Umi's gaze become unfocused.

"Obligations, huh..." The blue-haired girl turned away from Maki and looked up at the sky. Maki could tell she wasn't focused on the stars.

"Umi? Are you okay?" Umi suddenly turned to her so that their faces were nearly touching. Before the redhead could move, Umi had already moved her face to the side of Maki's.

"I'll be headed to my room now. You should get some sleep, too. After all, I wouldn't want you to be exhausted for your first day as doctor." Maki's ear was tickled by the feeling of Umi's breath, causing the redhead to blush deeply. Without allowing Maki to react, the captain walked off.

 _Did I say something wrong? A-and what was with her, getting so close like that?!_

Maki decided to follow Umi's advice and went back to her room. Without realizing she still had Umi's coat on her, Maki plopped down onto the bed in exhaustion. As she slowly lost consciousness, the image of Umi's sombre gaze towards the sky didn't leave her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

After a fitful sleep on the bed that had yet to become familiar to her, Maki rose at the crack of dawn as she was accustomed to. However, without having any of her duties as a princess around her, Maki sat on the bed for a while. Eventually the redhead went to the deck of the ship and looked across the ocean.

 _It's so peaceful..._

All that Maki could hear was the sound of waves lightly splashing against the hull. Not wishing to be surprised by anyone, the redhead looked around before touring the deck. There were barrels and boxes scattered all around, as Maki had heard about pirate ships.

Maki ended up at the helm of the ship. Staring at the wheel, she was reminded of the kingdom she was the princess of, and a part of her wanted to turn the ship around while no one watched. Then she remembered something.

 _"You should become our doctor!" That's what she said, right? I suppose I can't really say no, can I?_

Feeling satisfied with the small tour she took, Maki walked back down and headed to her room.

"Ah, good morning, Maki." Her blue-haired captor, and now captain, was standing in front of the door to her room. "I was just about to wake you."

"Hmm? Do you need me for something?" Umi nodded at the redhead and motioned for her to follow. Maki wordlessly followed the captain. After walking through the door that Umi had led her to, Maki found herself in a small room that seemed to be an infirmary.

"Welcome to your new job!" It wasn't an impressive room to Maki, who had worked in her kingdom's hospitals since she was a child. Instead, it seemed like more of a storeroom than an infirmary, filled to the brim with herbs and medicines.

"Hmph, what is this? A closet?" Maki walked inside and looked even closer at what was in the room. After she saw that, despite being cramped, the infirmary had everything she'd need, Maki spoke once more. "Well, it's not too shabby considering..."

"Considering the fact that this is a pirate ship?" Maki looked back to Umi, who had a smirk on her face. "Didn't I tell you?"

Umi walked inside the storeroom with Maki. Because of the close distance between them and the small size of the room, Maki felt squished and embarrassed.

"W-what are you talking about?" Umi picked a flower from one of the plants and tucked it behind Maki's ear. The feeling of Umi's fingers on her ear was electric, but Maki tried to repress any signs of emotion.

"I said I'd shatter those expectations of yours, didn't I?" Umi's hand slipped downward to Maki's cheek, causing the redhead to yelp.

"Ueeeeeeh?!" Umi quickly retracted her hand and turned away from Maki. Surprised by the cool captain's reaction, Maki tilted her head. "U-Umi?"

"S-sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to do such a... S-shameless act." Maki walked next to Umi, whose cheeks were colored a deep shade of red. Maki chuckled at the sight.

"I never would have guessed you would be so prude…" Umi seemed to turn even redder at the sound of her own words being used against her.

"I-in any case, I hope you find it suitable to work with. I should be waking up the rest of the crew now." Within a few seconds, the embarrassed, innocent Umi was replaced by the cool Captain Umi that Maki had grown accustomed to. "After all, you should meet the crew, shouldn't you?"

* * *

After around an hour of introductions and examinations with Umi's crew, Maki sat down in the cramped room, sighing in exhaustion.

Do they all have names like that? A color and a noun that somehow defines them… Who thought that was a good idea?

"Tired already?" The redhead looked up to see Umi standing next to her.

"Not at all! Anything you need me to do for you, Umi?"

"How's my crew holding up?" Maki put her hand to her chin in thought.

"Hmm… Well, it seems like a majority of your crew is suffering from scurvy." Umi frowned with concern. "Is there any way you can get fruits?"

"Yes, but…" Umi seemed troubled by the proposition, so Maki decided to pry a little.

"But?" Umi frowned at the question and turned away from Maki. With a loud sigh, Umi walked out of the cramped room.

"We'll head there now, I suppose. I think breakfast is going to be ready soon, Maki. You should head to the mess hall." Without looking back at the redhead, Umi moved out of Maki's line of sight. Despite that, Umi was the only thing occupying Maki's mind.

 _That sad gaze again…_

* * *

After a quick breakfast — meat with bread again — and an inventory check of the medical supplies that Umi had provided her, Maki felt the ship come to a halt. She headed up the stairs and saw an island with a large jungle in the center.

"Alright, go gather some fruits for our dinner! That's an order from our new doctor!" The crew yelled in affirmation and headed down to the shore. Maki looked over at the source of the sound and found Umi standing on some type of platform.

 _She's a pretty good leader, huh?_

While Maki was staring at the blue-haired girl, Umi turned towards her and made eye contact. Maki immediately turned away, embarrassed at the thought of being caught.

"Enjoying the view?" Maki turned back to find Umi next to her. Umi wore a smile on her face, which made Maki unsure of what "view" she was referring to.

"Y-yes… It's quite beautiful." Tearing her gaze away from the captain, Maki looked towards the island once more. After a few seconds of silence between the two girls, Maki decided to try to make conversation with Umi. "You know, last night I was a bit lost in your ship."

"Ah, sorry about that... I hope you weren't wandering around too long by yourself."

"No, I was helped by someone." Maki glanced over at Umi and saw her curious expression.

"Hmm... Do you remember who?" The redhead thought about it for a while, realizing she hadn't been introduced to anyone with the mesmerizing voice she had heard in the hall.

"All I remember is yellow..." The blue-haired girl's eyes lit up.

"Ah, a blonde girl? That would be Eli. She's probably the strongest member of our crew and excels in swordplay... Eli's honestly quite intimidating."

"Then why isn't she the captain?" Umi chuckled in response.

"You see, Eli isn't-" Before Umi could finish her sentence, Maki heard a familiar voice from behind her.

"Whatever could you be talking about, Umi?" Chills were sent down Maki's spine because of how close the voice was. She looked over to Umi, who, in contrast, slowly and calmly turned around.

"You, of course, Eli. Since you didn't introduce yourself to our new doctor, I had to do it for you." Seemingly unfazed by Umi's frown, Eli turned to Maki and smiled widely.

"Ah, it's quite nice to meetcha, doc. Sorry about that, I needed my beauty sleep." Maki nodded at the girl, another thought arising in the redhead's mind.

 _She certainly is beautiful..._

"Ahem." After clearing her throat, the blonde turned back to Umi. "How long are you gonna glare at me? Do you wanna fight?"

"Ha! I'd rather not waste my time with you right now." In a flash, Eli was suddenly right in front of Umi, with Umi's chin in her hand.

"Oh, afraid it will end like last time?" The blue-haired girl turned red at those words. Wrenching herself away from Eli, Umi stammered out a few words.

"N-not in front of the princess!" Eli relented, then looked at Maki.

"Hmm... So our new doctor is the princess, huh?" Eli closed the distance between them, then examined Maki from head to toe.

"W-what is it?" Maki quietly said that while blushing at Eli's actions.

"Nothing at all. Anyway, I think I should join the rest of the crew. See you later, Princess." With a wink, Eli disappeared into the ship, later emerging on the beach. She waved as she walked towards the dense jungle. To Maki's right, Umi sighed.

"I seriously can't handle Eli… Anyway, come with me. I'll give you a quick tour." Umi and Maki walked together, but one question was still bugging the redhead.

"What happened last time?" Maki unconsciously let the question slip out, and the girl next to her started to blush madly. Without saying a word, Umi sped up slightly. Despite that, Maki could still see her red cheeks from the side.

* * *

As Umi said, the tour was rather quick. Within the hour, Umi had shown Maki around the ship, and the crew had returned from the expedition. They were all sitting in the mess hall, eating the fruit they had gathered. Maki was sitting with Umi, quietly chatting with the captain. After they had finished their food, Maki watched as Umi went up to the man who was the navigator for the ship. He nodded, then Umi walked back over to Maki.

"It's too loud here. I'd like to continue our conversation in my room. Is that okay with you?" Maki nodded, then stood up. As they walked out of the mess hall together, Maki could hear jeers from the other crew members.

"The cap'n got another one!"

"She'll even go for the princesses, huh?"

"Ha! You know Cap'n Umi loves the princesses, dontcha?"

As Maki heard those shouts, she couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about.

"Ah, don't pay them any mind. They don't know what they're talking about." Maki simply nodded and followed Umi into a room. It was well furnished for a pirate's room, with a large bed and a giant drawer standing out to Maki. The bed was covered in a dark blue blanket that matched it's owner's hair. Umi sat down on it and patted it, signalling Maki to sit next to her.

 _Wait. Wait just one second…_

Suddenly the shouts that came from the mess hall, Umi's interaction with Eli, and the sensation of Umi's hand on her cheek clashed together and formed a single thought. Maki quickly backed away from the bed.

"What's wrong, Maki?"

"Y-you… What are you trying to make me do?!" Umi tilted her head at the question.

"I just wanted to talk to you… Ah." Umi stood up as well, causing Maki to continue backing away. Soon the redhead hit the wall with her back. Umi continued forward, but Maki had nowhere to go. The captain reached towards Maki, causing the redhead to close her eyes out of embarrassment, her face completely flushed.

 _N-no I'm not ready-_

That thought was interrupted by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. Maki opened her eyes to see Umi's reassuring smile.

"You figured it out, huh? Don't worry, though. I really just wanted to talk." Umi led Maki over to the bed to sit. "Those guys always exaggerate."

"S-so you've brought other girls here, too?"

"Well, we normally just talk." Maki breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that.

"Ah, so I misunderstood then? You don't try to romance girls?" Umi chuckled at the question.

"No, that much is true. I am into women, not men." Maki immediately slid away from Umi. "W-what is it, Maki?"

"I-isn't that kind of weird?" The blue-haired girl in front of Maki tilted her head as if prompting Maki to continue. "Being a girl… and liking girls… My father told me that women should fall in love with men…" Maki's voice trailed off as she saw the angered expression on Umi's face.

"Your father again, huh? When will you start to learn to think for yourself instead of listening to him?!" Stunned at Umi's outburst, Maki found herself unable to speak as Umi continued. "Honestly, it's like you listen to every single figure in power without listening to yourself."

"That's not true, I-"

"Oh, yeah? Then how about when you fixed up your captor's wound? How about when you agreed to be our doctor? How about when you decided to even board the ship in the first place?!" Grasping at any chance to counter Umi's onslaught of questions, Maki almost yelled at the captain.

"You didn't give me a choice! You said you'd fire on civilians if I didn't. As a princess that's my duty…" Maki paused as she thought about that.

"Exactly. As a princess that's your obligation to the kingdom and your father, right?" Maki opened her mouth in an attempt to answer back, but Umi didn't give her time to speak.

"And how can you call being into girls weird, when that's how you are yourself?!" All of Maki's thoughts were swiftly directed to that question.

 _Is that true? N-no, I-_

"What, you haven't noticed? I've seen the way you look at Eli and me. Honestly, I thought you were trying to flirt with me when I asked you to repair my injury..."

"N-no, that-" Maki's search for a retort was forgotten as she heard a familiar voice from the door.

"Oho... Am I interrupting your lovers' quarrel?" Maki swung her gaze away from Umi and towards the door she had willingly entered a few minutes before.

Standing there, in all her beauty and with a sword drawn, was Eli wearing a mischievous grin.


	3. Chapter 3

"Eli, what are you doing?" Maki watched as the girl she was just arguing with gazed at the blonde intruder. Umi wore an annoyed expression as she repeated the question. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry for interrupting an argument between lovers-" As Maki heard that, she was reminded of the words exchanged just minutes before.

 _N-no, it's not like that! In fact that's the whole reason why-_

Maki's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a familiar voice cry out in pain. She quickly noticed Umi on the floor, clutching her leg. Droplets of red fell from the blade that Eli held. When Maki finally understood what had happened, she dropped down to the floor to examine the injury. She was met by a blade.

"Fufu, where do you think you're going, Princess?" Eli, still wearing that grin, pulled the sword away when Maki backed away from Umi. "Don't give me that look. You should be happy that I'm bringing you home today. But first…" Eli pointed the sword at the girl on the floor.

"W-wait!" Eli's blonde hair swayed as she turned to the redhead in surprise. Maki, also surprised at what she had said, searched for some logical answer to keep Eli from hurting Umi. "M-my father has a bounty on Umi… So you would be paid even more money by sparing her."

"Hmm? I was just going to tie her up until you were delivered… But thanks for the idea!" As Eli grinned Maki could feel her stomach drop. "You two really are lovers if you're that concerned."

"T-that-"

"If you don't mind, Princess, could you help Umi to that puny medical closet of yours?" Without hesitation, Maki rushed to the blue-haired girl's side. Then, as she remembered the argument they had just had, Maki slowly and carefully lifted the girl up. Umi didn't resist in the slightest, instead directing her glare towards Eli.

Umi leaned on Maki with almost her whole weight as they walked together. In different circumstances, Maki would feel flustered as the captain's body pressed against her, but her fear and worry overrided her embarassment.

Luckily, the walk wasn't too far. Once they had arrived at the room, Maki let Umi down then exhaustedly sighed

"Well then, I'll be tying you two up now." Eli quickly bound Umi's arms as the captain looked at her with anger. "Hmm, what's wrong, captain? Want a kiss?"

"I'd rather not be touched by a traitor." Her glare only continued to grow fiercer.

"Oho... One day you'll be tamed." With a wink, Eli blew a kiss at Umi then turned to Maki. "Well, you're next."

"W-wait! If you tie me up, who's going to treat Umi's injury?" Maki said that in desperation.

 _Not that there's a good reason for her injury to be treated... Wait, what?_

As Maki was thinking that, Eli had nodded and backed away. Maki watched as the blonde walked out the door, then heard the bar that locked the room swing downwards and clank with wood. After waiting for a few seconds, Maki checked the door and found that it was locked.

"Maki..." Remembering Umi's wound, Maki quickly grabbed a few herbs and the wrappings that she had taken note of this morning. After treating the cut as best she could, Maki sat down next to Umi.

"Well, what should we do now?"

"We can't do much, can we... Can you at least undo my arms, though?" Maki did so, and then she realized something, gasping audibly. "Ah, you figured it out, huh? Eli may be the strongest out of all of us... But when it comes to negotiations and hostage situations, she is utterly hopeless. I suppose she's just too nice on the inside."

"So that's why she isn't the captain..." Umi nodded, then winced as she tried to move her leg. "Ah, don't move around!"

Maki reached to touch the other girl, but memories of their argument were still fresh in the redhead's mind. She slowly pulled her hand back away, and there was silence between the two.

"Sorry about earlier." Maki turned at the sound of Umi's voice. She saw the blue-haired girl with that sad gaze once more. "I don't really have the right to criticize you about a lack of individuality or anything like that..."

Hearing that from the captain of pirates, the epitome of freedom in Maki's mind, the redhead said a single word.

"Why?"

"Because... it's not like I chose a life on my own. In fact, just a couple of years ago, I used to be like you." Maki tilted her head, asking with an explanation with her expression. Umi sighed as if in preparation for something tedious.

"I used to be a princess just like you."

* * *

It was two years ago. A relatively quiet summer of peace in the Sonoda kingdom. Umi was sitting in the garden when she saw smoke rising from the city's harbor.

She had heard of the Nishikino kingdom. Their advances in medicine, a beautiful royal family, and their growing interest in naval expansion... Neither Umi nor her family knew that their kingdoms would clash so soon.

Within a hour, the entire capital was overrun. Fires ran rampant throughout the streets. Her family taken prisoner, Umi quietly obeyed as the men started to take her family onto the boats they had used to bombard the city.

"Princess Umi!"

The next thing Umi knew was that she was being carried off by someone. Her parents' figures shrunk as Umi moved farther and farther away.

"Unhand me!"

"Princess, we're escaping!"

"Let's go back for Mom and Dad, at least!" The man carrying her fell silent as he continued running.  
Soon they boarded another ship and set sail. Cannonballs splashed in the water around them, but the ship remained unscathed. Umi watched as many of the other ships trying to escape sunk before they could make it out of the harbor.

With tears in her eyes, she cried out for her parents as the city disappeared in the distance.

* * *

Then the storm hit. Violent waves crashed against the ship and tore it apart. One minute Umi was holding onto one of the supporting poles in the lower deck. Then the ship split in two, and Umi found herself in the cold water of the ocean.

Umi was a decent swimmer, but all she could do was hold onto a stray wooden plank as the waves continued to batter the ship she fell from. Umi could feel the waves moving her farther away from the ship that was starting to sink.

After a while, Umi washed up on some beach she had never seen before. Umi could see the storm in the distance, but the island seemed to be covered by the sun. Umi laid down in the warm sand and fell asleep.

 _I'm hungry._

That was Umi's first thought upon waking up, so she turned to the jungle. It hardly looked inviting, but the former princess knew that it might have been her only source of food. Gathering up courage, she walked forward into the unknown.

Fruits that wouldn't fall from their trees and animals that refused to be captured seemed to taunt Umi as she continued her search. After what seemed like hours of fruitlessly searching, Umi arrived back at the beach. This time, it wasn't empty.

The sight of bodies and blood shining in the moonlight would forever scar her. A single person stood among the chaos. The figure quickly approached Umi, who was frozen in fear.

"Don't worry, I don't bite."

* * *

He was telling the truth. If anything, all he did was help the former princess. Scavenged food for her, taught her how to survive, trained her in swordplay and sailing... Umi was a bit confused about those parts, but grateful nonetheless.

"You'll be a great captain, one day." Those words surprised Umi. She knew what he meant. Umi had seen pirates before, and knew that his overcoat and hat matched the attire of a pirate captain.

The time for Umi to use her training came sooner than she expected.

One day, a few months later, Umi was heading back to the beach after gathering food. Then she saw it. The same scene that continued to haunt her mind. Except the sole person still standing wasn't her teacher.

Umi quickly grabbed one of the swords that lay on the beach and readied it. The man in front of her made the first move.

The blue-haired girl excelled in fighting, evenly matching up with her teacher. The man who had taken out an entire crew. One-on-one was a piece of cake.

After the fight was finished, Umi quickly looked around for her teacher. Once she found him, he pointed at the large ship behind Umi and said his final word.

"Captain..." The man lying before her breathed his last breath, then Umi looked to the ship. It wasn't the most beautiful vessel, but she boarded it regardless, wanting to fulfill her teacher's final wish.

"W-who are ye?" A portly man with a long black mustache was the sole occupant of the ship. Umi lifted her sword quickly. "Wait just a sec, Miss! I'm not yer enemy!"

He was scared, but Umi could tell he wasn't lying.

"I'm your new captain. Refer to me as Captain Umi." The man nodded vigorously.

"Pleased to meetcha. The name's Black Whiskers, on account of... "

* * *

"And ever since I met Whiskers and took over the ship, I've been sailing and recruiting members for my crew. Including Eli." Maki found it hard to process Umi's story, but continued to listen. "In fact, she was the one who suggested we kidnap you."

"Really?"

"Mhm. We were supposed to bring you back today and demand ransom, but..."

"But what?" Maki waited for a response, but none came.

Eh?

The girl next to Maki was blushing deeply and staring at the floor. Maki knew Umi rarely wore an expression like that.

"A-anyway..." Umi audibly yawned.

"You should conserve your energy. I'll think of a way to get us out of this situation." Umi nodded, then rested her back against the wall of the small room.

"All we can do is hope that Eli messes up during negotiations." Maki thought about that statement for a little, then remembered Eli's willingness to respond to her demand earlier.

 _Wait a sec! We could-_

The sensation of something heavy lightly landing on her shoulder interrupted Maki's train of thought.

"W-wha-" Maki cut herself off, realizing that any loud outburst could wake the girl who was using Maki as a pillow.

Umi looked peaceful in her sleep. On the other hand, Maki's face was the color of her favorite food, and it was only getting redder by the second. The blue-haired girl slipped further down Maki's body, passing over her breasts and landing softly in her lap. Maki resisted the urge to scream out.

 _Now that I look at her more closely..._

Maki knew from the moment she saw the captain that Umi was pretty. But seeing her sleeping like this... It brought a new emotion to Maki's chest. One she couldn't describe with words.

Her hand seemed to be slowly drawn towards Umi, and it landed on dark blue hair. Stroking Umi's hair softly, Maki had another sudden thought.

 _N-no... Could it be?_

"Princess. Or is it 'doc' now?" A quiet whisper reached Maki's ears from the locked door.

"Whiskers, is that you?"

"Yes ma'am! Why's the door locked?" Umi fidgeted in Maki's lap.

"Shhh."

"Ah, I'll be quiet, doc. Anyways, ye want me to remove the bar?" Maki thought about it for a little. Remembering her thoughts that came before Umi distracted her, Maki spoke.

"No, but pay attention, Whiskers. I have a plan."

* * *

"Where's my daughter?!"

"Be patient, King. She's right here, ok? Now where's my money?" The tension in the air was thick. So thick that Maki could almost grab it out of the air if her hands weren't bound.

Maki saw soldiers place a large chest on the floor in front of them. Eli's eyes gravitated towards the chest, and that's when Maki spoke up.

"Papa, I don't trust her! Get me before you give her the money!" Out of the corner of her eye, Maki could see Umi's eyes widen.  
"Well, pirate? I refuse to give you the money unless I have my daughter back safely." Eli seemed to be thinking hard as she raised her hand to her chin.

"Hmm... Fine. Take her... But your soldiers have to back off! I don't trust you either, you know!" Maki's father frowned, then motioned for his soldiers to back down. They lowered their weapons and backed up a couple of meters.

"Is that better?"

"Ah, but before I give you your daughter, I would like to make an addition to this trade."

"What do you mean, pirate?" After he said that, Eli presented Umi to them, her hands bound like Maki's.

"I heard there was a bounty on a blue-haired pirate that kidnapped your daughter? Perhaps you could give me a little extra." Maki's father begrudgingly nodded, then motioned to one of the soldiers. Within minutes, a large sack was brought to the king.

"Will this suffice?" The soldier started to walk towards Eli.

"Woah, stop right there. This trade is between me and the king, not one of his soldiers." Eli flashed a grin as the soldier backed away. "The king will bring it to me himself."

He slowly approached the blonde with the bag.

"Give me Maki and I'll go back for the chest." With a nod, Eli untied Maki. The redhead immediately stood up and ran over to her father, embracing him tightly.

"Well, you got her back, so give me the gold." Maki watched as her father nodded, then she turned around and saw a familiar mustache appear behind Eli. Maki raised her hand while still hugging her father. She heard Eli's voice in response. "What are you-"

"Maki, can you let go of me now?" The redhead looked at her father and smiled.

"Sorry, Papa." Maki turned the king around and pulled out the dagger she had requested from Whiskers earlier. Putting it to his neck, the redhead yelled loudly. "Nobody move!"

"What do you think you're doing, Princess?" Before Eli could walk one step closer to Maki, Whiskers untied Umi. Realizing something was going on, Eli turned back, but was met by both Whiskers and Umi. Even though Umi was injured, she was able to pin down Eli with her crew member's help. "Y-you!"

"Surprise." The captain quickly bound Eli's hands together.

Maki turned to the soldiers, who had readied their weapons once more.

"I said don't move!"

"Maki, what are you doing?!" She heard anger in her father's voice. She did think that anger was justified, but she continued to hold the dagger to his neck.

"Back up towards the ship." Her father gave in to her demand, and they slowly walked back into the ship. The soldiers seemed frozen in formation the whole time. While that was happening, the three pirates also boarded the ship.

"You're helping her out?! She kidnapped you!" Maki thought about that for a little.

"You're right. She did kidnap me. She tied me to that pole over there and said she didn't trust me." Maki took a deep breath before saying her next words. "But, Umi has taught me so much. She exposed me to independence and pushed me to think for myself. She might have kidnapped me... But she also liberated me."

Maki's father seemed lost for words. He simply frowned as they headed up to the top deck. Most of the other pirates were lazing about, seemingly unaware of the events that had just transpired.

"Hmm? What's hap'nin, Captain?" Umi did her best to stand up tall in front of her crew, bringing out the cool Umi that Maki hadn't seen in a while.

"Set sail at once!"

"Aye, Captain!" After a collective shout of affirmation, the ship quickly left the harbor. Maki watched her former home shrink as they sailed farther and farther away.

A ship followed after them, sailing faster than Umi's ship. Maki knew that at the rate this was going, the boat pursuing them would catch up in minutes. However, another sight distracted her from that thought.

Umi walked towards Maki's father and looked at his kneeling figure. Maki, sensing the possibility of danger, ran up to the blue-haired captain.

"Wait! Umi, don't hurt him!" Umi turned to Maki at the sound of her voice. "I know he's done a lot of terrible things to you and your family... But he's still my father. So please, don't-"

"I wasn't going to hurt him, Maki. I'm not particularly interested in revenge..." Umi paused, then nodded as if she realized something. "Though there is a sweeter revenge that doesn't involve hurting your father."

"What do you mean?" Umi outstretched her hand to Maki.

"Grab my hand, and I'll show you what I mean." Hesitant at the thought of Umi exacting her revenge, yet curious to learn what Umi meant, Maki slowly reached for Umi's hand. Once Maki's hand was in range, Umi quickly grabbed her and pulled the redhead into her arms.  
"Wha- Mmmph!" Maki was shocked at the feeling of Umi's lips on hers, but quickly melted into the kiss. Umi let go of Maki's hand and wrapped her arm around the redhead's back, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

 _This... It's like that feeling I've read about in story books. What was it called again..._

Before Maki could continue that train of thought, Umi separated from her. While the two were catching their breath, Maki remembered the word.

"I love you, Umi." After the feeling of elation subsided, and Maki realized that the whole crew was watching and cheering, Maki's cheeks began to feel like they were burning. She looked over at her father, who had his head turned away from her, his teeth gritted. "Wait, didn't the stories always..."

The princess looked back at the captain of the pirates and pouted.

"What is it, Maki?" Umi's cheeks had lingering traces of red on them as she spoke.

"Aren't you supposed to say something back to me?!" The pirate chuckled in response and pulled Maki towards her once more.

"Will this suffice?" Umi closed the distance a second time, sharing an even deeper and more prolonged kiss with the redhead. When they separated, Maki spoke to her in a whisper.

"I-I'll let it slide this time." Smiling at that, Umi put her mouth next to Maki's ear, reminiscent of Maki's first night on the ship.

"I love you, too, Maki." When they separated, Maki simply smiled at the girl, then looked towards her father once more.

"Well, what are we gonna do with Papa?" Umi looked at the man in question. Then, as if she realized something, Umi quickly walked over to him and smiled.

"Can he swim?" Maki was confused, but still nodded in affirmation. "Well, I hope he can swim well. Untie him and throw him overboard!"  
A few of the pirates did as Umi said. Maki heard her father yell as he plummeted into the ocean, then watched as the ship following them stopped to pick him up. Surprisingly, the ship turned around soon afterwards.

"Now, to deal with Eli... Whiskers, where is she?!" He shrugged and looked around. Umi walked around for a little, then she came back with the rope that she had used to tie her up. "Do we have the money, at least?!"

"Ah, about that, Captain Umi..." Whiskers nervously laughed, then pointed out towards the ocean. In a smaller boat, Eli was rowing towards the Nishikino kingdom. "That lass is brave, heading over yonder..."

"We can't exactly head in that direction can we..." Maki frowned at the thought of Eli getting away. Umi must have saw this, because she walked closer to the redhead. "Ah, it's not like she's the villain from those fairy tales you seem to like so much."

"What do you mean?"

"Eli became a pirate so she could support her younger sister financially. I suppose she's gonna sneak on one of the ships in your kingdom and make her way back home..."

"What so you're forgiving her already?" Umi smiled, then shook her head.

"No... It's just that... Not everything is so black and white, you know? Maki nodded, though she wasn't entirely satisfied with Umi's defense of the girl.

The air was filled with the sounds of pirates shouting and moving around as the ship seemed to glide on the water. The redhead turned away from the place she once called home, gazing out towards the vast ocean. The sun was starting to set behind them, tinting the ocean with an orange color. Umi walked up to her, and the two of them stood together and continued to look at the water in front of them.

* * *

"No money, no ship, and we're stranded on this specific island."

"Sorry it's not the picturesque ending in those stories you've read, Maki." The two laid next to each other on the warm sand of the beach. Maki turned to her side to glance at Umi.

She moved her eyes up the blue-haired girl's figure, taking notice of as many small details as she could. The rising and falling of her chest as she breathed, her soft lips slightly upturned in a smile, those amber eyes that took her breath away... Umi turned onto her side as well, and their eyes met.

"But... This isn't that bad is it?" Maki softly laughed at the question.

"No, not at all." They scooted closer in order to press their lips together. After a few months of sailing with Umi, Maki had become more comfortable with intimate actions like kissing. It was nothing like their first, which was a quick, chaste kiss on the spur of the moment. Deliberately crashing against each other in such a pleasurable manner was something that came with experience.

Maki decided to surprise Umi by taking the lead, pulling the captain closer to her and deepening the kiss. Umi didn't seem to accept as she added tongue to the kiss. Maki quickly followed suit, then started to move her hands up and down Umi's body-

"Captain!" Ignoring the shout, Umi continued to kiss the redhead. "Captain! Captain Umi!" Finally giving in, Umi separated from Maki.

"What?!"

"Ah, er, sorry ta interrupt ye, but we need yer help, Captain." With an audible sigh, Umi stood up from the sandy floor of the beach. Maki was still laying in the comfortably warm sand when Umi spoke to her.

"Stay here, okay?" Maki watched as the blue-haired girl walked off towards the jungle. Maki turned to her other side and stared at the heap of broken planks of wood that used to be their ship.

She remembered the storm that was so like the one in Umi's story. Remembered the way that Umi navigated through violent waves and landed somewhat safely on the island. How the dashing captain quickly decided on a plan to build a new ship... Maki realized how smitten she was with the girl.

 _She told me to stay, but..._

Maki quickly got up and ran towards the jungle to catch up with Umi. She found Umi with the rest of the crew, the captain giving orders on which trees to cut and how much fruit to harvest. Umi made eye contact with Maki, and the redhead walked over to her.

"I thought I told you to-" Maki rose a finger and placed it on Umi's lips to silence her.

"You think you can tell me what to do?" Umi simply smiled at the girl and went back to ordering her crew. Maki took that chance to grab onto Umi's hand and interlace their fingers. The blue-haired girl turned back to Maki and smiled at her before closing the distance once again.

And in that dark, unfamiliar jungle, surrounded by a crew of pirates and kissing their captain, Maki felt a sense of joy that surpassed the happiness she had as a princess.


End file.
